The primary tool I reach for in my Mary Poppins magical midwifery bag is the supremely simple one – the almost too simple one – of smart lifestyle choices. Good health is necessary for birthing safely at home. Good health is necessary to our pursuit of a meaningful life, too! This post is about the[…]
Today I’ll tell the story of birth after cesarean from another perspective. I was hired by a young Amish family in the summertime of 2006 to serve as midwife for their third baby, their second vaginal birth after cesarean. Like Ingrid, Rachel had attempted to birth her first baby at home with another local midwife,[…]
A nine pound, twelve ounce baby boy with a fifteen inch noggin was born vaginally at home through the afternoon of a warm summer’s day after the baby’s brother, a boy who tipped the scales at nine pounds even, was born by cesarean in the hospital some three years earlier. This was my first primary[…]
I thought I’d flesh out the story that was published on Katie Reid’s blog last week called Fear and Doorknobs. Maybe you read it! I introduced it here on my blog with the title Peace and Grace and a little teaser piece. The theme of the blog post series is listening to the Voice of[…]
Good morning, Friends! I’m excited to tell you that my friend, Katie Reid, has honored me with an invitation to share about a time I felt God speak to me for an episode of her Listen Close, Listen Well: Lean in, My Daughters series of blog posts. I’ve been blessed many times through my life to[…]
So, here’s the story of Rose and Ned’s first homebirth. Rose and Ned are the mother and dad of Absalom, the baby I wrote about last week. Eleven years ago, Rose gave birth to her first son, Davin, through the wee hours of early March. I met Rose five months before in her sister-in-law’s back[…]
This morning I thought I’d share about the first time I discovered something seriously wrong with a baby. I was serving one of my favorite clients – Yes, I know, there are those who say all of my clients are my favorite clients – and I guess they are! But I can’t help that. After[…]
It’s amazing to me how often I’m asked if I wish I were Amish. I was even asked once if I am Amish. That one made me smile! No, though I love and respect the Amish folk I serve, and they and their ways, for a multitude of reasons are very dear to my heart,[…]
Continued from Monday… Read Part One I slept till Kerman awakened me just prior to dawn, Sunday morning, November 15th. He told me Armanda’s waters had broken when she “stood up” – Amish talk for waking up in the morning – and had been “walking” – or leaking – ever since. I hung up and[…]
I really did enjoy the chance given me to work among the Amish communities I used to serve while I was in Michigan last autumn, though the first half of my time there was brutal for the hours I kept. I think I also was in a bit of shock through that first part. Neither[…]